Vague Indefinite Riches

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite - only a sense of existence. ... How I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment. Henry David Thoreau; On Man and Nature

I am going to go out and take some pictures. I hadn't done it until now because of the smoke. But now the smoke has cleared and it's time to show you what our surroundings look like. The park is sparsely populated at the moment, maybe half a dozen units. The guy at the end of our row lives here permanently and has done so for seven or eight years. The people across from us look pretty settled as well. A couple of units are closed up during the week and are used only at the weekend. One brave couple is in a large tent and a pickup with a canopy. It was only five or six degrees last night. I wouldn't have wanted to be in a tent.

At sundown yesterday, while I had Salvador the monkey cat out for his evening "walk" we discovered a huge grape vine growing on the fence nearby. The grapes are huge and absolutely ripe and sweet as kisses. Haven't tasted grapes like that since the last time I picked my own. I brought a stem back for Tony to enjoy.

Now, about Salvador's "walks". There must be a better word for what we do. He drags me, and then I drag him. He runs as if his tail's on fire, then flops down and refuses to move. He dashes up a tree and then can't figure out how to get down. I have to coach him on how to retrace his steps - every time. He rolls onto his back and thrashes back and forth in the grass like a dog. He investigates the many loonie-sized holes in the grass and makes his "smells good" face. Are these mouse holes? Too big... no dirt around them so they can't be moles.... I'll have to ask.

This morning, despite a chilly start, was just gorgeous. Crystal air, brilliant sun, cool breeze. I took the rascal out for his morning stroll and had to yard him back after half an hour, with him threatening to bite me all the way.

Naughty cat! At about 4:00 am the sound of clinking china woke me up. He'd managed to somehow stand on the kitchen counter and open the top cupboard, where I keep the (breakable) dishes. I caught him rocketing out of the cupboard, fluffy-tailed and triumphant. I smacked him and did the grasping-the-neck-skin dominance signal that cats recognize from kittenhood, when mama cat used it to teach them what was, and wasn't, acceptable behaviour. But he's a strong personality and he's determined to get back in those cupboards. Why? - other than the challenge of course. There's nothing there of any interest to a cat!

What an adventure! But it looks like we'll have to find a way to cat-proof the cupboards or I'll never get any sleep.